Date: May 18, 2003

Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Subject(s):

• Language Arts/Writing

Duration: 8 or more class sessions

Description: So much history has been learned from the letters and diaries that were so carefully and thoughtfully written in the past. Today, letter writing is a lost art, replaced by the cell phone and email. Lives are busy with little time to sit down and write a letter, and yet what can replace the thrill of a thick envelope filled with news from a friend or relative. This unit will explore friendly letters and business letters with the hope that students will take the time to share, in writing, their lives and their times with others.

Goals: NCTE/IRA Standards for the English Language Arts :

• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

1. Students will learn the form for both a friendly letter and a business letter.
2. Students will write a business letter to a company expressing their feelings of the product produced.
3. Students will write a friendly letter between characters in literature.
4. Students will learn correct punctuation for both a friendly letter and a business letter.
5. Students will edit for spelling, punctuation, and usage.
6. Students will use graphic organizers to extend their thinking

• the following books by Janet & Allen Ahlberg: The Jolly Postman , The Jolly Pocket Postman , The Jolly Christmas Postman
• computers with Internet access (optional)
• blank envelopes
• paper and pencil for writing letters
• Task for Writing a Friendly Letter to a Relative
• Graphic Organizer for Friendly Letter Writing
• Forms for Relative Friendly Letter
• Task for Writing a Friendly Letter to a Character
• Character Chart
• Graphic Organizer for Character Letter
• Form for Character Friendly Letter
• Rubric for Writing a Friendly Letter
• Letter Writing Task for a Business Letter
• Graphic Organizer for a Business Letter
• Forms for Business Letter
• Rubric for Writing a Business Letter
• How to Teach Editing to Students
• Study Chart for Writing a Friendly Letter and a Business Letter

Handouts in .pdf format; requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Click the icon to obtain the free Reader.

Instruction and Activities:

Day 1:
Begin by asking the class why people use letter writing. As the students brainstorm, list their ideas on the chalkboard, overhead, or large paper. Discuss each answer briefly. Have examples of different kinds of letter for students to study (or have them view the sample letters on the Internet by giving students a list of the web sites). Some should be personal letters; some should be various types of business letters. Ask students to work in small groups to find commonalities and differences in form, content, and punctuation. A Venn diagram can be used to show how the letters are alike and different. After about 15 minutes, bring the class back together to discuss their findings. Students should begin to discover the parts of the letters as well as correct punctuation. Again, list findings on a Venn diagram that you have drawn on the overhead, chalkboard, or large paper. Either hand out or put on a transparency the study charts for a friendly letter and a business letter. Explain to students that they are going to be writing both letters in the next few days. In the discussion, the parts of a friendly letter and a business letter should be noted:

• Friendly Letter: Heading, Greeting, Body, Closing, and Signature
• Business Letter: Heading, Inside Address, Greeting, Closing, and Signature

Days 2-3:
Begin by reading The Jolly Pocket Postman , The Jolly Postman , and/or T he Jolly Christmas Postman books by Janet & Allen Ahlberg. Discuss the different kinds of writing found in the books. Explain that students will now write their own friendly letters pretending to be a niece or nephew that has left her or his favorite shirt at an aunt's or uncle's house. By filling in the graphic organizer, students will think of reasons for sending the letter and other information that will be helpful in completing the body of the letter. The blank letter form for writing an informal letter allows students to fill in the address, the greeting, a message to make up the body, the closing, and the signature. Go over the Task for the assignment. Remind students they are also to address an envelope for the letter. (Those students needing more structure can use the partially completed letter forms.) All letters should be self-edited and edited with a partner. Refer to the "How to Teach Editing to Students" handout. The school address can be used for the letter written to a favorite aunt or uncle; it’s always fun to get return mail during the school day. Be sure students have gone over the Rubric for Writing a Friendly Letter so that they know what is expected of them.

Days 4-5:
Students will further their writing and thinking skills by writing a letter between two characters from fairy tales. If students are not familiar with tales like Goldilocks and the Three Bears , Little Red Riding Hood , Cinderella , etc., these should be read or reviewed with students. Hand out the graphic organizers, the Task, and the Rubric for a friendly letter. Go over these handouts so that students know exactly what is expected from them. Students can either work alone or in pairs to complete the organizer that will give ideas for the body of the letter. They can then start to write their letters. One student might take the role of one character (Cinderella writing to Little Red Riding Hood) or (the Wolf writing to Papa Bear) while another takes the role of the second character. Those students needing more structure should use the partially completed letter form for a Friendly Letter. After the first letters are written, they can be read and responses written in a second letter. Again, students are to address an envelope creating the addresses of the fictional characters.

Days 6-7:
Review the similarities and differences between a friendly letter and a business letter. Again, students can look at the sample letters that you have collected or look at the web sites showing business letters. In the discussion, the parts of a friendly letter and a business letter should be noted. Correct punctuation for each should be noted as well. Tell students that they are to think of some product that they like and use or some product that they don’t like and don’t use. They are to fill in the graphic organizer for thinking about the product. Depending on the level and ability of the students, the blank business letter form or the partially completed letter form can be used. Be sure to go over the Rubric for a business letter so that students will know what is expected of them. If computers are available, students could also send the letter to the company over the Internet by finding the company and looking for a way to contact them. Letters should be self-edited or pair edited since they are being written for an audience. Refer to the "How to Teach Editing to Students" page.

Day 8:
Today is sharing day or time for some students to complete their letters.

Lesson Extensions:
Have students write a letter to the author of a book they've recently read. Again, the body of the letter should be an extension of the book. Letters should be addressed to the publishing company of the book. If the author is living, letters will be forwarded. Publishing addresses are listed on the Internet.

Have students write a business letter to a Congressman in which they discuss a viewpoint on a current issue. The letter could be addressed to the state or federal level. Addresses can be found through an Internet search.

Assessment: The rubrics for the friendly letter and the business letter, students' completed letters, and teacher observation are all forms of assessment.

Useful Internet Resources:
* Writing Friendly Letters
http://www.abcteach.com/Writing/Flinfo.htm

* Friendly Letter Format
http://www.smcps.k12.md.us/mbms/writing/ltrforms.html

* Trucker Buddy
http://www.truckerbuddy.org

* Writing Letters Friendly & Business
http://www.kingsharvest.com/letters.html

* Letter Writing Rules
http://englishplus.com/grammar/letrcont.htm

* Writer’s Handbook
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/BusinessLetter.html

* Friendly Letter
http://www.learn.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=Unit&WCU=1845

* NCTE/IRA Standards for the English Language Arts
http://www.ncte.org/standards/standards.shtml